His Royal Darkness
by VicariousLady89
Summary: Alexis just wanted to deal with her life in New Orleans as best she could, but suddenly she was thrown into a whirlwind of fantasy where gods actually existed... And she couldn't seem to avoid a certain dark-haired one with a habit of mischief. Set after Thor: Ragnarok. Loki/OC MATURE CONTENT
1. Chapter 1

_**I'm not one for many Author's Notes, but I do feel the need to say that everything described about the city of New Orleans is as accurate as possible (I don't live there, but I live close enough to frequent it). Also, please drop a review! I will start contests with REAL prizes once my reviews pick up and there are enough reviewers to warrant contests. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

They city of New Orleans was large, and even larger if you counted the outlying neighborhoods. Algiers Point sat on the West side of the Mississippi River bank from the actual city, easily accessible by the CCC (Crescent City Connection), and even more-so by the Algiers-Canal Ferry, which ran almost flawlessly on fifteen minute intervals. I had lived in the ancient neighborhood (the first to New Orleans, to be exact) my entire life, mostly with my grandparents. Their traditional-style home sat impressively large and close to the ferry, giving an incredible view of the busy city lights every night. Some nights I would venture closer, though, situating myself on my favorite bench that ran along the path parallel to the river on the levy. There, you could absolutely lose yourself to the charming sounds of distant city life matched with the brilliant lighting of the casino and other extravagant establishments that one could see at the end of Canal Street.

At the age of 23, I still kind of lived with my grandparents, but not for the ridiculous kind of reasons, I supposed. When I was around four years old, my parents passed away. With that, my grandparents (maternal) took my sister and me in quickly, determined to not let their only grandchildren become victims to the system. My sister, Ashley, was a year older than me, and she hightailed it to a university on the opposite side of the country the moment she graduated from high-school. With that, I was suddenly the one in charge of the house. While our grandparents were outstanding guardians throughout our lives, they both exhibited extreme declines in their health. With that happening and Ashley just bailing on us, I decided to go to university in the city so I could stay behind and help the only people who ever seemed to really care about me.

I didn't _live_ with my grandparents _literally_ , if I wanted to be precise. Because of the ancient history of the area, my grandparents' house actually came with a small two-story apartment-like building behind the actual house, which used to serve as slave quarters before slavery was abolished. Only really using it for storage, my grandparents allowed me to take it over and turn it into my own home so I could stay close to them while still having my independence. It really didn't take much to transform the four-bedroom building into a two bedroom condo, not very spacious in nature but still quite charming. The added effect of the wrought-iron spiral staircase that served as the only entry to the second floor bedrooms made all the difference. Each bedroom had its own small balcony, which overlooked the quaint courtyard behind my grandparents' home.

I was late.

I was _sooo_ late. And there was nothing to be done for it. I had already left the house ten minutes behind, which guaranteed that I wouldn't make it to the ferry before it left and I would have to wait thirty minutes for it to return. I didn't have much money on me, just enough for the ferry, a couple of drinks, and a cab home. It saddened me to think that I would spend more money on the cab I would need to get me home (because the ferry quit running at midnight) than I would the entire evening I was supposed to spend having fun with my friends. Neither of my grandparents got very good pensions, so I found most of my income going to bills. I refused to let them live in squalor after all they had done for me and my sister.

Anyway, technically I was meeting with a friend and an... acquaintance, I supposed. I was meeting with my friend Olivia, whom I met in middle-school when she transferred from Colorado Springs. Just recently, Olivia ran into Randy, who was apparently a close childhood friend of hers from back home. I had only met him a few times since she introduced us, so I didn't know if I could call him an actual friend. Maybe friend by-proxy?

I was out of breath by the time I reached the gate, and I almost slammed my fists into it when I saw that all of the loading personnel were on-board and preparing for launch. The loud beep from the ferry confirmed it.

Using all of my strength to not run my hands down my face and ruining my makeup, I turned to face the windows that faced the southern-bound side of the river. Being only a couple weeks from Christmas, the windows were closed to ward off the cold, though it was hardly necessary with how mild the "cold" in Louisiana got.

My eyes stopped briefly for a moment on my reflection in the windows. I had left my long, dark brown hair down to help with the slight chill of the night, and my neck was wrapped in a black and green scarf, matching the color of my eyes. My black hoodie was slightly large, long enough to cover my jean-clad ass and envelope me in a homey comfort. A nice green blouse lay beneath my hoodie, but I didn't have any intentions of taking off the hoodie and showing it off. My entire look was completed with my knee-high leather boots adorned with several straps and buckles. They were the only shoes I would wear into the city, because, as much as I loved it, it was filthy.

Removing my frustrated gaze from the window, I flung myself on the too-small bench next to the gate with a frustrated growl, dreading the thirty-minute wait.

…

By the time I managed to shove my way to the Cat's Meow, I was an hour late. Holding my hands up quickly to the doorman to show I wasn't trying to sneak in outside beverages, I immediately made my way upstairs of the establishment. Olivia and I had always had a rule that if phones couldn't be contacted, we would wait upstairs of the karaoke bar for the other person. Looking around on my tip-toes for my friend's braided nest of scarlet hair, I smiled as I spotted her.

"Liv! Livvy!" I called over the loud music and what sounded like a dying cat on stage. Olivia turned and saw me, her eyes lighting up. Smacking the guy beside her a few times on the arm, I could see her say something excitedly to him as she pointed to me. The guy turned, and for a second I was intrigued by the blond man. And then he fully turned. Oh. It was Randy.

It wasn't like I disliked the guy, he just rubbed me the wrong way, despite having only met him a total of three times. It didn't matter, however. He was Olivia's friend, and since he was still fairly new in town (having only moved to NOLA a month before), she insisted that we take him out on the town and show him the REAL city that never sleeps. Most locals like us didn't frequent Bourbon Street very often (unless I wanted a Hand Grenade), preferring to stick to Frenchmen Street where not as many tourists frequented, but it was the guy's first night partying in NOLA so Olivia wasn't pulling any punches.

Approaching the two, I said loudly over the music, "Hey! Sorry about that. I missed the ferry."

Olivia scrunched her face at me as Randy smiled slightly.

"I don't understand why you don't just use Nanny's car, Lex. You know she won't say no if you ask." Olivia paused a moment to sip her drink, a Coke and whiskey by the looks of it. She had spent so much time at my house since middle-school that she had basically adopted my grandparents as her own and even used their elder names. "Or better yet, just buy your own car. Are you really gonna just use the ferry the rest of your life?"

I visibly rolled my eyes at her, turning my attention politely to Randy. "Hi. It's nice to see you again." I tried to speak as platonically as possible as I grabbed my glass of water from Cindy. Cindy was a hard-working waitress at the CM, and she knew I would only drink water there. If I planned to get drunk, I was going to save my money and buy a couple of Hand Grenades down the strip once we exhausted the joint. Hand Grenades were extremely strong concoctions comprised of seven straight liquors, poured into a grenade-shaped cup with an extended neck. Two could get me the perfect buzz. Three would get me completely trashed. Only one place carried it, Tropical Isle, and the few existing establishments only resided on Bourbon Street.

"You too," Randy replied brightly. "I – "

Before he could finish, Olivia brought my attention back to her. "Hey, bitch, don't ignore me," she said playfully, grabbing my arm to turn me to face her.

Casting a sideways apologetic glance at the somewhat attractive blond friend of Livvy's, I rolled my eyes and returned my focus to my friend. "Liv, I'm not taking Nanny's car out into this city without a good reason. Her and Pop might need it, and it could easily be stolen on a weekend this close to the holidays. And I can't exactly afford to buy my own car either, you know. I get around just fine with the ferry."

Letting out an irritated but understanding sigh, Livvy crossed her arms. "Whatever. Anyways, we waited here for you for so long that I'm already burnt out on this place. Let's head out."

Smiling and nodding, I motioned to get Randy's attention. "Alright newbie, let's show you what partying in NOLA is all about."

…

After a quick pit stop at Tropical Isle for my usual Hand Grenade (they tasted just like pineapple juice!), the three of us walked the crowded street of Bourbon to allow Randy to take in the festive sights of the busy party street. He seemed amused at the different street performers, and was clearly intrigued by the scantily clad dancers hovering just inside the doors to the strip clubs. A law had passed not too long before, disallowing the girls to hang around in the street to entice more customers inside, so the most they could do was try and look as sexy as possible while pouting and batting their eyes at anyone, man or woman, who they thought might enjoy a good show. I noticed Randy's interest, but when I suggested going inside one called Lipstixx, he declined for some weird reason. Whatever.

The rest of our time was spent drinking and pillaging the countless souvenir and head shops that lined the strip and its adjoining streets. Though I had been there multiple times, I couldn't stop myself from ogling the intricate dab rigs in the display case of The Ra Shop, wishing I had the money for something better than my cheap sipper.

After that, we made our way into Second Skin, which was a sex shop that mostly catered to the gay male community, but there were still other entertaining bits and bobbles around the shop to amuse even the strictest of prudes. It didn't slip past me that Randy seemed to be buying at least one item from every shop we visited. I supposed I couldn't blame him, though. He may have just become a resident, but he was still new to the area.

Around one in the morning, I found myself staring sadly down into my almost-empty Grenade cup. I was at the end of my allotted second drink, but I wasn't nearly as buzzed as I would have liked. Probably because those two drinks had been spaced out over the span of several hours, but still... I didn't like it. Lamenting my diminished drink, I glanced over to Livvy and Randy, who were sitting next to me on the stoop outside one of the many random shops along the street. Though most of my time was spent walking every day, my feet were starting to hurt, so I knew Randy truly meant it when he said he needed a break. Both of my friends were completely smashed, laughing raucously at a drunk girl who was crying over breaking one of the straps of her heels. I was beginning to feel less buzzed and more babysitter-ish.

"Lexy..." Olivia whined, leaning heavily on me while gripping my arm tightly to keep herself upright. "Whyy...?" She screwed her eyes up in an attempt at concentration. "Whyyy... Are you not... Not drinking with us?" She hung her hand over her eyes dramatically.

"I _am_ ," I stated bluntly, indicating to the almost-empty drink in my hand. Smiling at her, I said, "But mine currency hath run as dry as my cup." I laughed nervously at my stupid, very bad fake accent, covering my internal disdain.

"Oh, come _on_ , Lex," Livvy slurred, smacking my back good-naturedly and gesturing to the Tropical Isle across from us. "Just go buy another! Suck it down! Get on our level!"

"Liv..." I didn't want to have to say it in front of Randy, who I supposed I could consider a friend at that point but barely so. Livvy knew I only had twenty bucks left to my name, and that was just enough for the cab ride back across the bridge plus a decent tip. I watched as recognition dawned in her eyes.

"Fine, _I'll_ go buy – "

"Yeah, I agree with Olivia here," Randy spoke up, interrupting Olivia though not too rudely. He was just as drunk as Livvy. He hadn't said much to me all night, but everything in all had remained friendly and pleasant and I supposed I could see why he was a friend of Liv's. He shared the quality she had where she seemed to demand good vibes in her atmosphere at all times, or vibes that were at least close to hers, so if someone wasn't in-tune to it, she would make it that way. "I'll... I'll go buy you another. _All_ of us another! We'll chug them and the winner gets..." Randy's glazed eyes looked around the area, clearly searching for something. To be honest, I was slightly surprised. It seemed as though he didn't care for me much at first. I mean, he was nice and gentlemanly, but that moment was the first he'd included me so much. Maybe because he was hammered. "The winner gets another free drink!"

Sobriety never sat well with me when I was the only one sober, so I smiled. "You're on!"

…

"On three!" a random stranger shouted. Livvy wasted no time in finding a random party-er to judge our "drinking contest." The guy was drunk too, and apparently enjoyed going the extra mile. That was apparent by the group of people surrounding us that he had somehow corralled into watching our little contest. I didn't care too much. I wasn't easily embarrassed.

"One..."

Who cared if I won or not, really? The third Hand Grenade of the night in my hand would provide enough of a boost to my inebriation to achieve the effect I wanted.

"Two..."

I mean, there was no way I wouldn't turn down the free one, though. I didn't have work the next day and I had the money I needed to get home safely. So what if I got sloshed? The idea was sounding more fun.

"Three!"

Unlike Livvy and Randy, who both figured turning their cups up would be more efficient, I began sucking through the straw as fast as I could. I knew a brain freeze was going to completely wreck my shit in a few seconds from the crushed ice in my drink, but I knew that if I drank fast enough I could still win before my brain locked up from the cold. The people surrounding the three of us were all chanting _Chug! Chug! Chug!_ like some cliché frat party movie, but I was used to it. I could feel my breaking point approaching, but I just swallowed faster, determined to win though I wasn't sure why. I could hear the cheering all around me as I quickly felt the almost-damaging cold of my drink slinking to my brain. Crushing my eyes closed, I went for the home stretch.

To mine, and everyone else it seemed's, surprise, I heard the distinct slurping of an empty drink resound from my cup. Before I could even process it, I tilted it quickly and continued sucking to ensure I had gotten all of the drink I could out.

"We have a winner!" the stranger shouted, grabbing my hand that held my empty Hand Grenade and lifting into the air in victory. My other hand came up to cover my mouth, my eyes closing sharply as my brain freeze settled in.

"Fuck!" I almost laughed out as the pain overwhelmed my senses for a moment. "Brain freeze!"

Everyone within hearing distance laughed as I let the misery swallow me for a few seconds. The amount of drunk I was going to be within the next few minutes would be worth it. Livvy and Randy both seemed to be having the same problem, though their drinks had yet to be finished completely. As the crowd continued their laughter and dispersed, I was finally able to open my eyes and look at the two. Eyes shining dangerously, I said with a smirk, "Guess this means I get a free drink.

…

I got my free drink. The downside was I had no one to drink it with. After the chugging contest, neither Randy nor Livvy could stand up for more than a couple of minutes at a time. With a disappointed sigh, I put the two into a cab and sent them on their way to pass out in their respective homes rather than on the filthy, dangerous streets. I wasn't too unhappy, though. That third drink had really pushed me into a happy daze, and I found myself taking my earned fourth drink to the levy next to Cafe du Monde where I could sit and drink and watch the nightlife. I felt light as a feather, and quite warm and happy despite the biting cold that was a bit unusual for the area. Smiling to myself, I hummed a quiet tune as I swayed back and forth, pausing every now and again to sip my final drink. Though I was alone, I still felt very calm. No one seemed to be paying me any mind, and there were only a couple of people actually sitting nearby. Two men, one with a mess of short-cropped blond hair, the other sporting shoulder-length black hair that was slicked back, tucked behind his ears. I couldn't make anything else out about them, mostly due to my wavering vision. I could hear their voices, but they were either too far away or speaking too lowly for me to hear. I was too drunk to tell which.

Ignoring them, I stood from my spot and began making my way down the walkway that hugged the river, still sipping my drink and humming. The two men stopped their talking for a moment as I passed by to observe me, but they quickly dismissed me and returned to their conversation. I kept up my jovial pace, enjoying the cold river wind rushing past my overly-warm face. I looked down at the river, which was shining with the reflection of the full moon that night. The riverboats used for tours were docked nearby, and I found myself suddenly at the ferry landing.

While it wasn't a creepy place because I basically had to go past that landing at least twice a day, at the three in the morning, it always seemed much different... And dangerous. During the day, the area was usually cramped with people either there for the ferry or there for the Audubon Aquarium. But in the middle of the night, when the ferry was shut down and the aquarium was closed, the copse of buildings made the area a bit uncomfortable. Beneath the rise to board the ferry was a large space surrounded by bars that usually held some type of work equipment, but many cats were known to seek shelter in there as well. It was a large open space basically, just barred off to humans and containing many shadows.

Just as I heard the sounds of my drink dwindle away, I could feel my lightness become much more pronounced. My drunken thoughts were taking over, asking ridiculous questions which would make me drunkenly giggle aloud to myself. After stumbling a few too many times in front of the aquarium, I finally submitted and sat flat on the ground, uncaring of how filthy it was (though definitely cleaner than Bourbon). I leaned my back against the railing nearby, craning my neck up to look at the sky. I could see the moon, but the light pollution took away any view I might have had of the stars.

The stars...

I wanted to see the stars so bad, but where I had lived my whole life had made it impossible to ever see them. The ones that _could_ be seen were quite dull. Light pollution was a bitch like that.

I had told myself that when I got my first pay-raise at Bubba-Gump Shrimp, a well-known Cajun restaurant, I was going to invest the difference into a savings account that I was determined to use to go somewhere, anywhere, where the stars were all in view. Preferably on the night of a meteor shower. I wanted to use it as a vacation of sorts (washing dishes and doing homework nonstop felt like it was going to kill me). I wanted to make camp, and just stay in the wilderness for a couple of weeks, _at the least_. Which meant I needed to buy supplies. Good supplies. Nanny and Pop had taken me and Ashley camping once we were younger, and I had seen and read enough TV, movies and books to get the general idea. Some research was still in order of course, but I had only just gotten the raise so I still had time.

Pulling my knees to my chest, I rested my head back against the railing and continued to let myself wander into the sky, swaying slightly and still humming. I wasn't sure when I passed out.

…

"Look, brother! This homeless woman looks different from the rest."

Through a thick fog, I could make out the voice of a man with a European-like accent, though there was no way I could have figured out the exact accent in my stupor.

"That's because she's not homeless, you oaf," another voice but with the same accent said.

Blearily opening my eyes, my swimming vision was just able to make out two men standing before me, both quite tall and towering. I somehow registered the blond and black hair and vaguely remembered seeing it earlier.

 _That's right... It's those two guys... From... From the cafe..._

"Hmm... She does seem a bit better dressed... And she doesn't reek of a dumping ground."

My head was still much too foggy to comprehend everything, so I found myself spluttering out, "Who...! Who the fuck you do – do you... Think you are? Hmm? I don't smell!" At that moment, I tried to stand and get in his face, but my balance completely failed me, sprawling me to the concrete. "Fuck!"

"Miss, would you like some assistance?" the blond asked, laughter in his words.

"Screw off," I bit out, grabbing the railing and somehow managing to pull myself upright.

The black-haired one hadn't said anything else up to that point, but I heard his tinkling laugh cut through the night air. "It seems, brother, that your charms don't work on _every_ human girl. Must be utterly embarrassing for you."

Looking at the two, they were still out of focus but I could at least make out some small features. The dark-haired one stood only slightly taller than his blond-haired, supposed brother (though they looked nothing alike?). The dark-haired one was also more lean than his sibling, and almost strikingly pale and seemingly cold in nature. The blond one, however, was pretty bulked-up with muscle, a happy disposition surrounding him like a sunny warmth.

"I'm going home now, weirdos," I said as I eyed the crazy men, turning on my heel to find my way to the street. There was no telling how long I had been out on the ground like that for, but it couldn't have been long at all considering those two guys were still out there and the sun didn't seem to be coming up.

My unfortunate equilibrium pushed me harder than my feet could account for, so I found myself crashing to the ground a few feet away, hitting my right knee and hand in my drunken descent. "Fuck!" I screamed louder than the first time. Trying to push myself back up, a sickening wave of nausea plowed through me as I realized my hand was bleeding rather profusely and screamed with the pain of force on the hard ground. Immediately releasing my weight off my injured hand and pulling it to my chest, I couldn't stop myself from getting sick right there.

After a few heaves of only liquid being emptied from my stomach (I couldn't believe I had forgotten to eat), I wiped my mouth on my hoodie sleeve and said aloud to myself, "Real fuckin' attractive, Lex."

Scrambling to my feet one last time as the world began to spin around me, I made it a few feet before collapsing a final time, unable to really move. The entire time, those two guys had been watching me.

Feeling myself fading out, I cursed quietly over and over. And then I heard footsteps.

The two men approached me, which caused a slight quiver of fear to run down my spine. I didn't know these men. They could be muggers, or rapists just waiting for easy prey like me. "S-Stay... Stay back..." I slurred out, holding my bleeding palm out at them in the universal signal to stop.

"Miss... Please allow us to help you..."

"Us?" the dark-haired one sneered.

"You're inebriation is obviously causing you some distress and it wouldn't feel right to leave you alone out here..."

"Why do you assume I want to help this drunken chit, _brother_?" the rather bitey brother asked. Wow, what a jerk.

"Loki, we can't just leave her out here. This city is much too dangerous for beautiful women in her condition to – "

" _You_ might not can leave her but just watch me – "

"Brother, listen!" The blond's voice boomed loudly. I was having a hard time processing everything, but I was too drunk to care. "She is not well. She may be but a stranger, but that does not mean she doesn't warrant kindness. Come, let's take her to the hospital."

Rolling my head back and forth quickly, I stuttered out, "N-No! No! No hospitals..." I tried to force myself to move from my place on the ground, but it seemed I was too thoroughly drunk. "I just..." My words tapered off as my hazy mind lost its train of thought. What was going on? A hospital? No, no, definitely did not need a hospital. Just a glass of water, some aspirin, and my cozy bed. Yes, that was all I needed. Just... Where was I again?

"Then allow us to hail a cab for you," the blond said, though apparent worry was etched into his face.

"Y-yeah..." I muttered, clenching my eyes shut to try and stop the world from spinning. "A... A cab... I need to go... Get home..."

When I felt two unbelievably strong hands grip my arms and lift me up, I opened my eyes, staring unabashedly at the blond man helping me up. He was quite attractive if I were to be honest with myself. "Come, we shall make sure you get there safely. Where shall we direct the..?"

I didn't hear the rest of his question as I suddenly went limp, finally completely down for the count.

Shit.

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 _ **Again, don't forget to review! Once I reach about ten regular reviewers, I will begin holding contests in which the prizes will consist of Thor/Loki/Marvel related items!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Shorter chapter but I needed it to get the ball rolling. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"... that your _snore_ could put fog horns to shame, Thor!"

"Brother, please, it wasn't so bad! We haven't shared a room since we were but small children! It really took me back several hundred years!"

"Unghhh..." I groaned aloud, the voices waking me sufficiently in confusion. Cracking open my eyes, I was pleasantly surprised by the low-lighting of the room. But it wasn't my room.

Sucking in a breath that resembled a quiet shriek, I shot upright with my eyes wide open, taking in my completely unfamiliar surroundings. _How did I get here?_ My head throbbed viciously at the movement, but I was in a full-blown panic. I had had my fair share of drunken nights on the town, but I _never_ woke up anywhere anywhere besides home or Livvy's. And I was with two strangers, at that.

Taking in my surroundings, I noted that I was lying on a pullout sofa-bed in a rather luxurious hotel room. And there were two men speaking loudly in what I assumed was the adjoining bedroom. Looking at the window, I noted the sliver of light coming through the thick curtains, indicating daytime.

Not bothering to worry with my surroundings any longer, my body acted of its own accord as I began twisting my way out of the bedding, determined to escape before those men came into the room. Panic was gripping my heart like a vice as I tried to remember what had happened. Once I was finally free of the sheets, I felt a small pang of relief that I still had all of my clothes on, except my boots, which were laying haphazardly on the floor next to me. As soon as I reached the edge of the bed, my fears turned into reality as the two men suddenly strolled through the bedroom door, pausing their bickering the moment they saw me. I could only freeze when I looked at them, like a deer looking into headlights.

Seeing them, the cogs in my brain seemed to finally start moving again as I recognized them and suddenly remembered the night before. Distracted, I faltered off-balance by accident, my hands that were supporting my weight slipping off the edge of the bed and sending me literally head-over-heels to the floor, landing with a very harsh thud and a very loud curse from me. My superficial injuries stung like fire.

"Goddammit!"

From somewhere in the hotel, I heard someone shout, "Language!"

"Fuck you!" I screamed back before flipping my knotted mess of hair out of my face to look at the two men. If my memories from the night before were right, then the dark-haired one's name was Loki. And then when I had awakened, I heard Loki address the blond as Thor.

The blond, Thor, looked a bit startled, and largely confused. The other, Loki, looked slightly amused, if only by the curve of his mouth that indicated at least a small smirk. Thinking much more quickly than I usually did while so hungover (God, it had been _months_ since I'd had four of those drinks in one night), I snatched my boots to my chest as I glared daggers at the men. "Don't come any closer!" I said quickly, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. I had thrown one palm out in an accompanying gesture, and that's when I noticed that my injured hand was wrapped neatly. "What the hell...?" Observing my obviously tended-to wounds, I suddenly found myself doubting what I thought was going on. Looking back sharply at the two, I said in what I hoped was a dominant tone, "What the hell happened? Where the hell am I and why am I here?"

It seemed my impression of Loki from the night before was true as he said nothing, only rolling his eyes and strolling his way toward the window. Thor seemed just as bright as the night before. Relaxing his shoulders and showing his bare hands in a sign of peace, he said, "Do not worry. You merely seemed to have imbibed too much of your city's drink and fell unconscious before we – "

"We?" Loki cut in a bit scathingly.

" _I_ ," Thor backtracked, looking slightly exasperated at the interruption, "could acquire the address of your residence. It wasn't safe to leave you out there, so _I_ ," he emphasized, shooting a look at his brother, "brought you back here to our current abode to recover."

Blinking a few times, certain that I was hallucinating or dreaming or just not hearing things right, I looked almost crazily at the man and blurted out, "Dude, what the hell is with the way you talk? The renaissance fair was months ago." The larger man's face crumpled into confusion, so I just brushed it aside. "You know what? Nevermind. Where am I?"

Pulling myself to my feet, still clutching my boots to my chest, I directed my question solely at the blond this time, his apparent brother obviously excluding himself as a party in the matter and looking out the window.

"We're in a hotel known as the 'Maison Dupuy.' It is only a short distance from where we we encountered you."

The Maison Dupuy. I knew exactly where we were. We were only a short ways from Bourbon Street, and not that much further of a walk to the ferry. "R-right," I tried to say calmly. I was okay. I was okay. "Well, uh, thanks? I think? Um, I should be going..." I said as I sat on the edge of the bed to pull my boots on.

"Miss...?" I heard Thor ask cautiously.

"Alexis," I responded, never having liked formalities like that. "Just Alexis. Or Lex, if it's easier for you."

"Um, Alexis," Thor said, seeming a bit nervous. "My sincerest apologies if we may have frightened you. I am Thor, and that," he indicated to the man standing at the window, "is my brother, Loki. I wish to make it up to you, if you'd let me."

Was this handsome, foreign blond man asking me out? If he was telling the truth about what had happened the night before, then hadn't he already done enough for me? I was clearly okay, and if I had been left out in the city alone and passed out, I probably wouldn't have been.

"Um..." I tried, my brain hurting from too much activity while I was still hungover. "I mean, haven't you done enough already? Like I said, thanks. But I still think I should go..." Finishing putting on my boots, I stood and looked awkwardly at the two. "Um, thanks. Bye."

With that, I darted out of the room, narrowly dodging the housekeeper right outside the door and making my way outside. I didn't slow my half-running pace as I began my trek home. Looking up, I could see where Loki was still looking out of the window, except his eyes were following me rather than taking in the city sights.

…

"Nanny, Pop, I'm headed to work!" I shouted into the house as I came in the back door. My grandmother was just in the next room, the laundry room, and I took a strong guess that my grandfather was in the living room watching football. I always peeked in to tell them when I was leaving. You know. Just in case.

"Okay, honey. Be safe!" I heard my grandmother call back.

"Do y'all need anything before I go?" I called back. "Do I need to bring some dinner home? Or I can have Mrs. Deveroux bring something over?" Mrs. Deveroux was a neighbor who I had enlisted to help me keep an eye on my grandparents while I was away with school or work.

"No, we're fine, Alexis. Now hurry, you don't want to be late!"

I quickly obliged and made my way to the ferry, noting to bring them home something to eat. Nanny would always adamantly say she would be just fine making dinner, but I knew it put too much strain on her when she tried. If she succeeded, then they would at least have a meal for later.

It was three weeks after my drunken incident, but it was barely a memory by that point between work, finals, and the holidays. I had been entirely too wrapped up in washing dishes and doing research papers to think about the incident, and nothing else had happened so I had put it out of my mind completely.

After leaving the ferry and making the quick trek to Bubba-Gump, I quickly clocked in and began my grueling six hour shift of cleaning other people's messes.

Whatever. It paid the bills.

The staff in the restaurant were nice enough, and the servers would sometimes step into the dish-pit to lend me a hand if we were really in a crunch. One server in particular, Chase, was always quick to offer me a helping hand. And his phone number, every chance he got.

"Hey, Lex. I didn't know you worked today," said man addressed, capturing my attention from the scalding water I was spraying on the dishes. He was leaning over the dish bump, smiling brightly at me. His brown hair was styled a bit with gel and his blue eyes seemed to twinkle.

Groaning inwardly and wishing he could leave me alone for just one shift, I replied as politely as possible, "I didn't either, until about seven this morning. Josh called in sick." I threw the dishes I just rinsed into a large tray, wasting no time in shoving it into the washer.

"Oh, that kind of sucks," he said, though he didn't seem very apologetic. I knew why. "Well, at least I'm here to keep you company!" _There it is_.

"Yeah..." I replied, trying to sound at least remotely enthusiastic, but it just made me want to choke. As nice of a guy as Chase was, he was almost _too_ nice, which was a bit unsettling for me. And it didn't help that he had been trying for about three months to get me to go on a date with him. How many ways could a girl say no? I wasn't sure, but I knew that I would find out if he kept it up. He was about another two invitations away from getting smacked in the face with a hard stream of hot water one day.

"So, any plans for after work?" he asked, to which I immediately wanted to throw a plate at his head but resisted.

"Yes," I fibbed. It was only a little white lie, and _did_ hold a little bit of truth. I had plans... To bring dinner home to my grandparents and binge Netflix. But I wasn't going to tell him that. "I have my class schedule to finish for Spring semester." Also a truthful lie. While I _did_ have to finish finalizing my Spring schedule, I had already completed it on paper. School began again in only a couple of weeks.

"Is work and school all you ever do?" he asked, still smiling at me but not quite as jovial as he was before he was turned down. "I mean, don't you ever go out and party or something?"

"I do. Just not very often." It was becoming difficult to not grind my teeth in irritation, not slowing my pace in cleaning the never-ending mountain of dishes.

"Right," he said disbelievingly. "And the Audubon just got a Mosasaurus."

 _Fucking nerd._

"I _do_ ," I defended, though I wasn't bothered to try too hard. I couldn't care enough about the guy's opinion, just the fact that I had to be civil if I didn't want to lose my job. "I just went out a couple weekends ago." _Three, actually, but who's counting?_ "You know end-of-semester is a crazy time for college students. And, well, you know how Christmas and New Years is, too."

"Well, the holidays are over and school doesn't start back for a couple more weeks. So how about I give you my number and – "

"Chase, you were supposed to clock in five minutes ago! You have two tables waiting!" I heard our manager call from across the back of the restaurant.

Slightly smirking, I watched his stricken-face pale slightly as he darted off and I returned my full attention to the dishes. I could tell by the clock on the wall that had been behind Chase that he was late, but I was feeling a bit playful and "casually" forgot to mention that he was missing his shift. Maybe that was a bit bitchy of me, but the guy needed a reality check sometimes.

…

"Thanks, Daniel!" I called back to one of the cooks as I walked out of work, a bag in each hand full of food to take home. All-in-all, the shift hadn't been terrible, and asides from a few unwelcome visits ( _coughChasecough)_ , the shift ran rather quickly. It was about to start getting dark, and New Orleans was gathering to life again after the staleness of daytime in a party city. However, 4PM on a Saturday meant a crowded ferry. While I didn't worry too much about myself, I knew my bags could get snatched in a heartbeat if I wasn't careful.

"Hey, Lex!"

I internally groaned, mentally kicking myself for not knowing that getting away wouldn't be so easy. Plastering on a fake smile, I turned outside of Bubba-Gump to greet Chase once more.

 _He must have gotten off the same time as me. Dammit_.

"What's up, Chase?" I asked in an exasperated tone as I turned to face the man. Yeah, he was attractive, but he was just so _dumb_ sometimes.

"Well, I noticed that since we both got off work at the same time that you might like to go grab a drink or something. Tomorrow is Sunday so you can just work on your schedule then, right?"

 _Yeah, I could. But you could also just stop assuming things, asshole._

Trying an apologetic look, I feigned slight disappointment. "Sorry, I still have to get this food home. You know, to feed my grandparents." He knew I took care of Nanny and Pop.

Smiling like he was some kind of genius, he said, "Oh, come on! How about I just order them some pizza and send it to them?"

I almost didn't resist the urge to eye-roll. Opting for a more economical approach, I said, "I already _bought_ them food." I waggled the bags in my hands a little at him. "I'm not gonna let you waste _your_ money and _my_ food just to avoid going home."

"Hey it won't be a waste if – "

"Alexis?"

 _Oh, no. I remember that voice._ Mostly because I could never forget the strangeness of it. Turning to look to my right, I noticed two men approaching from across the street, the one in front waving cheerily at me. Thor and Loki. Honestly, I never expected to see them again in my life. But here they were. _And so was my escape plan._

"Thor! Loki! I was worried you'd be late!" I said with enthusiasm, giving the two a very, _very_ pointed look as Chase's attention was on them for the moment. The two men seemed a tad confused, but were at least smart enough to keep their mouths shut. Turning to Chase, I indicated to the two men who had just approached us. "Ah, Chase, these are my friends, Thor and Loki. They came to meet me so I could take them back to Nanny and Pop's." Glancing nervously at the two beautiful men who looked as if they'd been thrown off-kilter, I said, "They, uh, they're coming to do some work on the roof! You know, it's an old house and my grandparents can't do it themselves, so..."

I looked hopefully at Chase, praying that my lie wasn't too obvious. Chase, however, seemed to be sizing Thor and Loki up, jealousy rich in his eyes. "Oh," he said shortly, not taking his eyes off the men. After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head and looked at me, a smile back on his face. A confused smile, but a smile, nonetheless. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. You just didn't mention you were meeting some people earlier."

"That's okay," I said, not offering an excuse. "But we really must be going. There's only a little daylight left and Pop wants the estimate pronto. Bye!"

As I turned and motioned for the two men to follow me, I heard Chase say a farewell before muttering something about carpentry work on a Saturday. Once the three of us had crossed to the next street and Chase was safely out of sight, I rounded back on the two men who had dutifully followed me, though both clearly confused as to why.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" I said in a bit of a humiliated panic, trying to look as apologetic as possible. "I know! I know I seem crazy! I just needed an excuse to get away from that guy. God, he just bugs me _so much_ – "

"Lady Alexis," Thor interrupted me. "Has that man been bothering you? Do I need to – "

 _Need to what?_ I thought to myself as I cut him off. "No, no! Nothing like that! He is just a very persistent guy and I was needing any excuse to get away from him. I'm sorry that I dragged you two into it. I don't even really know y'all so I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"Matters not," Thor said brightly, smiling. "It's a pleasure to run into you again. Well, for me. Brother, here, probably disagrees."

I didn't doubt it. Loki hadn't said a word, only putting on a sour expression during the whole ordeal.

"Um, I guess it was nice seeing you again, too. You saved me from crushing that poor guy's heart in front of a _lot_ of people." Seriously, if Thor and Loki hadn't shown up, I knew I would have been forced to put my foot down with Chase. I may not have cared for the guy, but no one deserves to be shot down in public, especially while sober and _especially_ when the two people involved work together.

"So... Are we really accompanying you to your grandparents' home?" Thor asked, still smiling. He seemed to find joy in everything.

"Ah, no," I said embarrassedly. "I, uh, I just made that up. You guys don't have to come with me anywhere. I just needed to get away. Like I said, I'm _really_ sorry I kind of used you two to get away. I probably interrupted something important – "

"Nonsense," Thor said in that beautiful accent that he and his brother shared. "A lady in trouble should have _someone_ around to save her."

With that, Loki finally spoke up, though his tone matched the disdainful look on his face. "Yes, and Thor here seems to have a real _soft spot_ for damsels in distress."

"Hey!" I snapped defensively. "I am _not_ a damsel in distress! I just didn't want to hurt the guy's feelings!"

"Looked to me like being turned down wouldn't dissuade him." His voice was cold, challenging.

And dammit, he was right. I had turned Chase down many, many times already and he didn't slow his efforts in the least. But I wasn't about to admit that to _this_ pompous asshole. "I had it under control."

"Of course. Why else would you enlist two almost complete strangers to aid you in a lie?" Stopping himself, Loki sighed. "But whatever. It's not like I care about the inner workings of a mortal's mind."

 _Mortal_?

Kinda giving Loki a bit of a crazy look, I turned to look at Thor as I said, "Um, suuure... Anyway, thank you for helping me again. I swear I'm not doing this on purpose."

"'Tis quite alright, Lady Alexis," Thor said, ignoring his brother completely. "You've shown yourself as different from other women in this city. It's quite intriguing."

"Um, right..." Jesus, I had forgotten how weird these guys were. I probably needed to get away from them, too. "Well, I should be going. You know, before this food gets cold." I indicated to the bags in my hands."

"Of course," Thor said a bit apologetically, though Loki said nothing. "Glad to be of assistance. I hope we see you again."

"Um, yeah. Again, thanks." With that, I all but fled from the scene, high-tailing it for the ferry. As thankful as I was for their (well, _Thor's_ ) help, their odd accents and strange idiosyncrasies really seemed to weird me out. Those guys weren't only like from another era, but from another planet _entirely_. How did I keep getting caught up with creeps?

* * *

 _ **PLEASE R &R!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Special shoutout to my reviewers so far, StardragonXX, Lwolf, Grace, christmaskeilty, and anna becker. Reviews really are what keep me going. Thank you!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Time seemed to be moving at a much faster pace, because the following two weeks passed by in almost a blur. I had arranged all of my classes, bought all of my books (thank God for scholarships and grants), and conducted a complete overhaul on my finances. Every single penny was put towards a purpose, though I left myself no room for play. However, if I _really_ wanted to get my grandparents roof fixed (for real) while saving for my camping trip, it was what needed to be done. I was on a fixed schedule with Bubba-Gump to accommodate school, though most of my classes that semester were online. However, I was a diligent student, so I knew I would do just fine. I had managed full-time school and full-time work for the past three and a half years. One more semester wouldn't kill me, and then I would graduate.

Though my major was technically in English, I had no idea what to do with it. I was always extremely indecisive and English was always a strong point of mine, so I clung to it like a lifeline. Having almost graduated, I found myself at a loss as to what to do with the degree. I supposed my only option was teaching, which I wasn't too sure about, but it was all I had to go on, so I stuck with it. Asides from English, my only true passion was learning. While I hated history, I loved learning every random fact about every random thing there was in the universe. Due to that interest, I was a veritable walking library of the most useless knowledge in the world, which would _not_ get me a job. I was terrible with kids, but college might have been easier to teach in. Maybe if I went for my Masters... I also supposed I might could try some teaching abroad, maybe utilize what little Japanese I knew to teach the hardcore English classes there.

Whatever.

For the foreseeable future, I was stuck in New Orleans. Lord only knew when – and if – Ashley was coming back, and even if she did, I doubted she would stick around to help with Nanny and Pop. So, yeah, figuring out what to do with my life was basically put on hold until something changed drastically. Until then, I would continue working and hope something good would cross my path.

The rain on the trek home from campus was unyielding, soaking me from head to toe in freezing water before I was even close to the bus stop that would get me to the ferry. I was lucky that my only in-person class that day happened to be a lab, so my books and laptop weren't necessary. Otherwise, I would have had a ruined bookbag, books, and laptop to go along with my soaked-self. Once the bus stop was in sight, I looked on in horror as I watched the current bus drive away.

 _GodDAMMIT._

Due to maintenance on certain city streets, the amount of buses available were few and far between for my route. It would be another thirty minutes at minimum for another bus to show. Looking up into the wet sky, I shouted, "Is this what I really deserve?! If I did something wrong, just tell me and SKIP THE THEATRICS!" I basically screeched that last part before huffing away into the bookstore across the street. The employees might not have liked how dripping wet I was around their books, but they could just deal with it. Stomping around the shelves and finding an alcove deep in the back, I shoved myself into an armchair as my teeth chattered with the force of the winter rain seeping into my bones. Pulling my arms tightly around myself to futilely try and warm myself up, I realized just how wet I had gotten the chair. Oh well.

Sitting there in a stony silence, my chattering teeth the only thing making any noise, I seethed deeply at the day as a whole. I was going to get sick if my bus didn't hurry soon, and then I'd be completely screwed. School was easy enough to get out of – work, not so much. My coat may have been great for warmth, but it absorbed moisture like a sponge. I clearly needed to pay more attention to what the weather would be like.

Ha, who was I kidding? I had been telling myself that since I had started my frequent trips to the city, back when I had started college. I clearly wasn't going to learn my lesson.

"My, you really are quite the damsel," a voice said from beside me. If I hadn't been so rigid with cold, I would have jumped out of my skin. I had no idea anyone else was in that alcove. Looking over, I saw who spoke, though I already knew by the lavish accent.

"L-Loki?" I stuttered out, looking at the dark-haired man who was sitting in another armchair, a thick book held limply in his hand. He was dressed in a very nice black button-down that matched his black slacks and boots. His green eyes were focused on me in amusement. Remembering how much a prick the guy seemed to be, I tried to stay nonchalant, which was sabotaged by my frozen body. "I-I'm not a d-damsel, jerk."

"Quite right, I suppose," he smirked at me. "A damsel in _distress_ , more like."

If I could have moved, I would have picked up the nearest object and thrown it at him in my irritation. I may have barely known the guy, but my ire was enough to take out my frustration on someone with such little meaning to me. "Not in _distress_. I h-have it under control. I just g-gotta wait for the next bus and I wasn't about to sit under a tiny b-bus stop overhang for thirty minutes in th-this weather." Feeling as though I had made my point, I returned my gaze to a specific spot on the wall, telling myself to not look at the rude, yet curiously beautiful, man. Then I had a thought and addressed him once more. "Wh-Where's Thor? Aren't you two usually j-joined at the hip?"

My description wasn't so much of a jab as it was that both times I had encountered the men, they were both there. I hoped that they really were just close brothers and not actually gay or something, because it would have just been too unfair for the female race to be denied two such fine specimens.

"My brother is currently next door, having a cup of coffee with an old colleague. I just happen to frequent this store by coincidence."

 _Riiiiight._

"Um, okay," I said, not bothering enough to call him out on the obvious deceit. "Well," I said, standing from my chair as every inch of my frozen-self complained, "I better get to the stop so I don't miss it – "

As soon as I said that however, a ringing came from Loki's person, cutting me off and forcing him to turn his annoying smirk elsewhere. Watching him search his pockets for the offending noise, he finally produced a cell phone that was blaring some type of symphony music. Deciding that my farewell had been sufficient, I turned my attention away and began making my way back to the front of the store. I ignored the sounds of Loki answering his phone and focused on how much it was going to suck going back out into the cold rain.

Why did I keep running into that/those guys? They had been staying at The Maison Dupuy when we first met several weeks before, and it was not a cheap hotel by any means. And what were the odds that I kept running into them? New Orleans had about 400,000 residents. The chances of running into them twice was astounding, and a _third_ time seemed almost astronomical. Ugh. Whatever. I didn't have the time nor the energy to speculate on the two odd strangers.

A hand clamped over my mouth as a large arm wrapped itself around me, pulling me into a secluded stack of books. I wanted to scream, kick, scratch, do anything to fight for my life, yet the shock seemed to allow my attacker to quietly drag me out of view from few people near the front of the store. Finally coming to my senses, I screwed up my eyes in concentration before I did the first thing that came to mind. I bit down on my attacker's hand. _Hard._

"Oh, for Odin's sake!" a familiar voice hissed out, the hand jerking away from my mouth. Twisting around, I saw Loki standing there, cursing quietly and nursing his hand. "I'm not trying to hurt you, you petulant wench!" He growled, though he spoke lowly.

"What the hell is your problem, asshole – ?!" I started yelling defensively, deciding on whether I should give him a good swift kick where it hurts or just punch him in the nose. I knew I could never actually outmatch the guy (despite the several years of karate my sister and I were forced to attend and my frequent kickboxing classes I took at the university's gym), but I knew I could hurt him enough to get away.

Loki stepped in closer to me, his hand suddenly on my mouth again, shutting me up. At that point I was _done_ , so I just raised an eyebrow at him as if to say _, "Do we_ really _wanna do this again?"_ I had no problems biting the guy twice. Seeming to understand the look in my eye, he dropped his hand quickly, though not without saying, "Quiet."

Rolling my eyes and wishing I would quit attracting weirdos, I dropped my voice and hissed scathingly, "What the fuck is going on and who the fuck do you think you are grabbing me like that? I ought to scream for help! Explain!"

"I – "

"Brother – Oh, hello again, Alexis!" Of course. It was a fucking party and I was slowly becoming the ice statue. I was freezing and wet. I wanted to _go_ , and I definitely wanted to get away from these people.

Never one to be impolite to those who had been only pleasant towards me, though, I forced a smile and said quickly, "Hi, Thor, it was good to see you two again but I really gotta go – "

"Will you just _wait_?" Loki cut in, stepping in front of me to stop my departure.

"Why?!" I asked in extreme exasperation, running a frustrated hand through my wet hair.

"There is a man outside," Thor responded, seeming quite apologetic. Looking at Loki, he said, "You noticed it too?"

Loki nodded. "His magical signature alerted me. And... It's clear that he's waiting for the girl." With that, Loki indicated towards me.

"What the hell are you talking about – "

"Alexis, you must come with us," Thor spouted quickly, looking out the door a bit nervously. I was getting real sick of being cut off and being out of the fucking loop.

"What? No!"

"Listen – Alexis – I know you don't really know me, but I need you to trust me right now," Thor said, looking out the door suspiciously.

"Oh, hell," Loki scoffed. "Just because she might be in a _little_ danger, you want to go and drag her with us. Not all of these mortals are completely helpless." He displayed his bitten hand where my teeth marks resided for example.

"Yeah!" I agreed readily before suddenly shaking off my confusion. "Wait! No! A _little_ danger? Um, if you hadn't noticed, you two could easily take me out – "

" _We're_ not the danger, you impetuous doxy!" Loki sighed irritably.

"Then what – "

"There is someone outside," Thor said, cutting me off _again_. "A... _stranger_ , of sorts."

"Look, pal. I don't know where the hell you guys are from but – hate to break it to ya – almost _everyone_ is a stranger in New Orleans."

 _Seriously? What was wrong with these guys?_

"No, I mean – "

"What Thor means to say is there is someone outside who is clearly waiting for you. Someone extremely powerful, and no good intentions to speak of." At least Loki spoke in clear terms... When he wanted to.

"What? Like the mayor?" So there was someone "powerful" creeping outside waiting for me? "Wait, how do you know? And for that matter, why do you care?"

" _Not_ like the mayor," Loki said rather seriously, eyeing the door as well. "More like a god on some type of bounty hunt."

There was silence for quite a long moment before I burst out laughing. "Yeah, right. A god. A god wants to kill _me_. Sure. Goodbye, crazy men."

With that, I tried to leave once more, only to be grabbed by the bicep by Thor. Without addressing me, Thor looked at Loki. "Are you sure he's after the girl?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes. He has missed the last three buses and only moved when she approached. He tried to follow her into this store, but I believe my magical signature is keeping him from wanting to come in. Though I don't know what his intentions are exactly, I can tell he's looking for a capture, not a kill. He has plans."

"Then we can't just leave her here undefended," Thor said, looking surprised with his brother's nonchalant explanation.

"Normally, I would disagree with you," Loki said, curling his lip in what almost looked like disgust, "but he has strong magic and clearly she has something to do with whatever antics he's up to."

"Um, hello? I'm still here. And magic? You guys are clearly insane, so if you don't let me go right now, I'm going to call the cops." I hoped my paramount tone was enough to cover the fact that I was completely freaking out on the inside. The way the men talked, the way they carried themselves, their strange idiosyncrasies... It wasn't normal, and I was not about to let myself get wrapped up with two psychos.

"Come with us and we'll explain everything," Loki said, removing Thor's hand from my arm and instead placing a light hand on my lower back, directing me to the exit. A tingly warmth emanated from the spot where he was touching me, and I suddenly found myself speechless and unable to do anything to stop the men from leading me out of the store and down the stormy street. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move of my own free will at all. All I could do was keep walking with the men, though I eyed the bus stop suspiciously. No one was there.

"Brother, I don't think controlling her with your magic as such will aid in gaining Lady Alexis' trust..." Thor said a bit nervously, looking at the bus stop as well.

 _Magic? Magic magic magic. Why did they keep talking about magic? Is... Is this compulsion to follow them peacefully the magic they're talking about? No, there was no way. Magic wasn't real. Magic... But I should be screaming my head off, not dutifully following them like I actually_ believed _them. But I can't make myself do anything different. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Magic? Really?_

Soaked to the core once more in icy rain, I stood obediently beside the men as Thor waved down a cab. One stopped for us suddenly, much more quickly than usual, and, without further prompt, the three of us were in and on our way to the Maison Dupuy. I was basically having a complete meltdown, but whatever was going on that was detaching my brain from my body kept me from showing it. Once we were at the hotel and entering their room, I felt my body come back finally.

"What the ever-living _fuck –_?!"

"Lower your voice and listen unless you want to be subdued again," Loki cut in almost dangerously, leaning his face closer to mine. "And _do not_ try and make a run for it after this if you value the life you have now. That man is certainly still searching for you and the moment you are out of my range of spirit he will pounce."

"Brother, you mean to show her the truth?" Thor questioned hesitantly, sitting on the couch.

"It's the only way to make her understand. Humans possess the capability of accepting new ideas, but most are scientists for a reason. Now, _Alexis_ ," Loki said, addressing me by name for what I was pretty sure was the first time. "Please, do try and stay calm. Do your race some justice."

With that, I felt a ripple of energy seem to wave around me before completely disappearing. And in that moment, I had to spend a good minute readjusting all of my memory of the two men in front of me.

Loki, the Norse God of Mischief. He had tried to decimate New York a few years before, and his face had been plastered over every T.V. screen in warning to the general population so there should have been no way that I would have missed it before. The story was that he had opened some kind of wormhole and allowed an army of alien invaders to filter in to wreak havoc on the city. The man before me, Loki, had _literally_ tried to take over the world.

On the couch next to me was Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. He really was Loki's brother, though he was the good guy in everything. He had helped the Avengers take Loki down and (sorta) saved Manhattan. They were two actual gods, with actual powers. If I hadn't seen it plastered over every news channel, internet forum, and social media site, I never would have believed it.

After my long moment of silence, I suddenly blurted out, "You're a murderer!" I said horrified as I leapt from the couch and pointed a finger at Loki. "And... Wait, why am I just now realizing this? Fuck it, nevermind – "

"Loki is in reform," Thor said, getting up from the couch to stand next to his brother defensively. "He has vowed to make amends to this world. He simply had a charm placed on us to keep us from being recognized while we settle into Midgard."

"I..."  
"I'd listen to them, cupcake," a new, female voice resounded. Spinning around quickly, I watched as a very lithe, red-headed woman slipped easily through the window and into the room. She was a small woman, but she exuded confidence... And danger. She was wearing a fitted navy t-shirt and skinny jeans, complete with very stylish and shiny black boots. "Though Loki may have had a few screws loosened, that's definitely _not_ the problem right now." Bounding over to me, the woman grabbed my hand and shook it, her grip surprisingly strong. "Natasha Romanov."

I looked at the woman bewildered, not recognizing her face really but definitely remembering the name. She was an Avenger, too, just a more subtle member. My eyes widened, looking between the three almost frantically, trying to make my brain understand what was going on.

"Natasha, did you find what you were looking for?" Thor questioned, but everything sounded a bit distant and hazy.

"Yes, but it's not good."

"I... I need to sit down..." I said faintly.

…

"So, Loki escaped prison, went on a... _quest_... with Thor, Thor and Natasha helped save Sokovia, kinda, Loki went gallivanting around the universe unsupervised, Natasha was forced into a battle royale with other Avengers, then Thor and Loki's long-lost sister went haywire and destroyed their home, forcing them to voyage here on a spaceship to lay low... Is... Is any of that right?"  
I was sitting on the couch, a thick blanket draped over me and a cup of coffee in my hand. Natasha had offered me a change of clothes, but my curves were a bit too generous to fit anything she might have had. Instead, the rather beautiful woman helped me change out of my wet clothes and into a bathrobe as I just complied in a daze. My mind was reeling in shock.

"For the most part, yes," Natasha said, sitting across from me in an armchair. "Which leads us to now. Thor?"

"Thank you for your assistance, Natasha. You have such a calming power for such a dangerous mortal," Thor said, smiling at her. Looking back at me, Thor continued the explanations. "Though I did not know you were the target, I noticed a man outside the coffee shop where I was having a cup of coffee with Natasha here. I know that man, and he is very devious. Kol, the God of War and Obedience." He paused, almost seemingly for dramatic effect, before continuing. "He has been known to stir up trouble, and seems to enjoy making mischief even more-so than Loki. I haven't a clue what he's doing here on Midgard, as he's supposed to be exiled to the ice planet, Yeln, outside the eighth realm. Whatever he's doing, it's not good, and he must be stopped."

I felt like my head was going to explode with all the information being thrown at me. I swore I must have been dreaming, because my tiny, pathetic life didn't even warrant drama, let alone on such a huge scale. "O... Okay... And what... What does this have to do with me?"

"Moronic girl, we just _told_ you – "

"Watch it, Squeaky Toy," Natasha interrupted Loki, shooting him a dangerous look. "We need her to trust us if we want to keep her out of Kol's hands."

"It seems as though, from his magic signature and behavior earlier, that he wants something from you. If Loki and I hadn't been in the same vicinity by chance, he surely would have taken you." Thor seemed concerned, but I was starting to decide on calling it insanity and just going home. I couldn't handle this shit. None of it should be my problem. I had enough to deal with.

"Why me?" I finally asked, looking carefully at the three other occupants of the room.

"We don't know – not yet, anyway," Thor responded a bit dejectedly. "I trust Loki's magic enough to know whatever he's doing isn't good, and if it involves you, that puts you in very real danger."

"Okay..." I said, trying to get my brain to sort itself out. None of it seemed _too_ outlandish – at least, not in this day and age. So I opted for more questioning. "So what am I supposed to do now? I... I need to get home." Looking at the window, I could see that it had gotten dark. "I need to get back to my grandparents! They're probably worried and I need to get dinner ready – "

"Natasha?" Thor questioned, looking at the chilled-out redhead.

"He didn't follow you guys," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "He clearly knows how to use a cell phone though. When I followed him he made a couple of phone calls, one of which I heard him say he lost the three of you. He clearly doesn't know where to find any of you just yet. He seemed very unhappy that you two decided to be there, though. My suggestion is Alexis be escorted home. We'll continue tailing him to see what he's trying to play while she stays put where he doesn't know how to find her."

"Whoa, I can _not_ just stay at home!" I objected, growing slightly angry. "I have school and a job! I literally can't _afford_ to just sit at home and hope you three find the guy. I have my grandparents to take care of!"

"Hmm, that does seem problematic..." Thor said, mostly to himself as he looked away as if in thought.

"I'll escort you home," Natasha said. "Neither of us have magic so he won't be able to sense us."

"But what about – "

"We'll exchange phone numbers," the red-head said, two steps ahead of me. "Whenever you have to go to school or work, just contact one of us and we can escort you. We'll keep a safe distance to keep from interfering with your work and studies."

"Um, I don't _think_ so!" I said vehemently, jumping to my feet and walking to the bathroom. Slamming the door behind me, I continued loudly as I shrugged off the robe and pulled on my still-heavily damp clothes. "I don't need some bodyguards. I don't even think the guy is after me. I'm just a loner homebody with a menial job and average grades. I'm not worth the interest of some _god_."

"Alexis, _please_ ," I heard Thor's voice call pleadingly through the door. He sounded sincerely worried.

Finally pulling on my soaked boots, I stomped to the bathroom door and threw it open, almost glaring at the three people who had all-but abducted me. They clearly did not want to leave the issue alone, so I decided to comply – kind of. "Fine. If that's what it takes to get away from you guys and go home."

…

After exchanging numbers with the three, I remained silent as Natasha called a cab and took me home. I gave her the address to one street over from my house as a precaution, and hoped none of them figured out that I had given them all a fake number.

I didn't need this kind of shit in my life.

* * *

 ** _Don't forget to review! Once I hit ten regular reviewers, I will start rolling out the prizes!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Kinda been out of it lately but here ya go! Sorry if it's kind of a lame chap.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Well, I definitely got sick. After that fucking weird day of being abducted/not-adbucted by freaking _gods_ , I chalked up everything to being prematurely delirious from the fever I developed later that night. I refused to go see a doctor, seeing as I had no insurance. However, it only took a couple of emails to explain my absence to my professors. My employer wasn't so easy to appease. It took about a dozen phone calls and texts, plus four separate promises to take shifts in the future to satisfy my managers. After the nightmare of dealing with all of that while dying from a stuffy nose, itchy, watery eyes, sore throat, and a throbbing headache that refused to go away, I was finally able to settle down on the couch of my grandparents' living room and let Nanny pamper me.

Yeah, I may have wanted to be independent, but no one liked to be sick while completely alone. And she wouldn't have had it any other way, anyhow. She had been shoveling home-remedies and soup down my throat relentlessly, fussing the entire time that I should have "called her for a ride instead of soaking myself in that freezing rain." I would have argued that it would have been more dangerous for her to drive into the city, but I didn't want her and Pop to feel like they were being treated like invalids or something. Instead, I kept quiet in my death, trying my hardest not to outwardly groan when Pop would watch football in the room or Nanny would insist on driving to the drug store for more medicine.

I was on day two of being sick, and while I felt the tiniest bit better than I did, I knew I would still have rather been trampled by bears than be sick with the mess I had. Nanny and Pop had left earlier that morning for a doctors' appointment, which I usually tended to but was unable. I didn't get sick easily, so being out of commission for so long was driving me insane.

Tossing the remote to the end of the couch in frustration, wishing I had my laptop from my house to watch Netflix, I opted to drug myself up some more. Blindly reaching around on the floor for my bottle of NyQuil, I almost wanted to cry when I picked it up and saw that the bottle was empty. Knowing it would be hours before my grandparents came back, I groaned outwardly and peeled myself off the couch.

Fifteen minutes later, dressed head-to-toe in multiple layers of winter garb, I wrapped my scarf around my face and stumbled out the front door. There was a convenience store right around the corner, and even though it would be expensive, I knew I could get more medicine there. I basically wobbled in my sick, dazed walk to the store. I felt like my fever should have had steam rising from my skin in the cold, but I couldn't let that stop me. I couldn't wait the several hours for Nanny, and I also wanted some form of chocolate.

Only ten minutes later found me walking out of the convenience store's door, a black plastic bag in my hand swinging with the weight of medicine and several different types of chocolate. It was still really frigid outside, which made me immediately curl in on myself as I began my trek back home. I was wheezing, coughing, and hacking, and the longer I was outside the worse I felt. Sniffling into my hoodie sleeve, I felt myself run into a very solid form.

"Sorry!" I said quickly in my nasally sick voice, looking up to see who I had accidentally tried to mow over. The person in question grabbed me stiffly by the arm, steadying me but not letting me go.

"Careful," a deep, recognizable voice said.

"Randy?" I asked with a bit of confusion, realizing who it was. Since Olivia lived in an apartment in the actual city, I hadn't expected to run into her friend in my neighborhood. I suppose it wasn't too weird, though. I never really asked where in NOLA Randy had moved to, so he could have been a new neighbor of mine for all I knew.

"Ah," the blond man said, giving me a smile. "Hello Alexis. Didn't expect to run into you around here."

He acted a lot differently when sober, which kind of threw me a bit. It was like meeting the guy all over again. "Oh, yeah. Liv didn't tell you? I live nearby." Apparently socializing wasn't in my capabilities at the moment, because I erupted into a coughing fit, feeling myself flush even further. I felt absolutely miserable. "I'm sorry. I'm sick." At that, he wrinkled his nose a bit, almost in disgust it seemed, but he maintained his light grip on my arm. "I should get back home. Good – Good seein', you."

Randy seemed to snap out of whatever sour thoughts he seemed to be having and suddenly appeared cheery once more. Grasping my arm a bit more firmly, he said, "Oh, please allow me to escort you. You really shouldn't be out here like... this."

 _Um, how about no?_

"Um, okay..." I said against my own will. I mean, he was Olivia's friend. It would have been rude to decline, as weird of vibes as he was giving me. "It's not far – "

Just then, I stopped mid-sentence as I saw a familiar mop of choppy blond hair and a flash of bright red round the corner, their stature screaming purpose. Just as I was about to let out a groan of irritation, the atmosphere suddenly changed drastically. As Thor and Randy's eyes met, Thor boomed, "Kol!"

Confusion wracked my already cloudy brain before fear took over as Thor suddenly lunged towards us, his left eye glowing white like crackling electricity as the weather around us seemed to charge with static. Natasha had also taken off at a run towards us. I was completely caught off guard, but not nearly as much as when Randy suddenly shouted menacingly, "Thor!" Without releasing his grip on me, Randy thrust one palm outward, and suddenly the ground shook sickeningly before splitting open in front of us and a large, jagged chunk of earth was drove upward. The earth almost struck Thor and Natasha, but at the last minute Thor leapt over it as Natasha dove sideways around it.

Looking back at Randy in sheer terror, I noticed that his eyes had gone black. Panic suddenly engulfed me but before I could begin trying to pry myself out of his grasp, Natasha had me by the other arm and pulled me free. She didn't hesitate or stop though as she kept her momentum, dragging me away as I watched Thor come down on Randy, a lightening-covered fist making direct contact with the man's jaw.

"Wait! What the hell – ?!" I basically screamed out, struggling futilely against Natasha dragging me away.

"Come _on_! We have to keep moving! Thor will handle him! We have to get you somewhere safe!" Natasha yelled over her shoulder. To avoid letting her remove my arm from its socket, I stopped resisting as much and ran with her. My entire aching body wanted to protest, but adrenaline had started pumping through me quickly, taking over my senses. The two of us ran fast, making it about four blocks away within just a couple of minutes before Natasha suddenly steered me up the stairs to a house and sweeping me inside. Once inside, Hell seemed to break loose even more.

"Loki – !"

"Where is he?" Loki's voice snapped back, cutting her off. Not taking in much of the sparse living area asides from the fire blazing in the grate, I immediately zoned in on Loki, who was approaching us quickly from the door on the other side of the room.

Natasha finally let go of me, to which I exhaled in relief though still utterly terrified. What the hell had just happened? What the hell was _happening_? Though I wasn't in the worst shape physically, sprinting for four blocks while as sick as I was really took it out of me, and I could feel my fever spiking even worse as most of the adrenaline seeped out of my system. The world was becoming a bit fuzzy and warm. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered that I had dropped my bag of medicine.

"Thor engaged him. Kol found her. If we had been a second later, he would have taken her," Natasha explained, smoothing out her windswept hair while looking pointedly at me.

"Wait – " I said weakly, slowly shaking my head. "B-but that was Randy. He's just a friend."

"No, it was Kol. According to Thor, he was in disguise." Natasha's matter-of-fact tone really kind of grated on my nerves, but I was feeling too faint to bristle at it.

"How did he know that?" I asked tiredly, drawing my scarf tighter around my neck to fight off a chill.

"Thor has a special... _enhancement_ ," Natasha said hesitantly. "He says he's not as adept as his _brother_ here at detecting magic, but..." She trailed off, almost seeming to struggle for words.

"He possesses a false eye," Loki finished for her, crossing his arms impatiently. "As a gift from Stark, it has many more abilities than an average prosthetic. Back to the _point_ ," he growled, rounding back on the red-head, "What happened? Are they still out there?"

It was suddenly warm. Like, _really_ warm. _Too_ warm. Feeling myself let out a hot puff of air, a wave of clammy malady swept over me. It was strong enough to make me feel slightly nauseated at the sensation.

"I... I can't..."

My world went black before I could finish whatever I had been about to say.

…

"Who is Ziggy Stardust?"

"That's correct!"

I heard a live audience begin clapping while my consciousness steadily crept to the surface. The first thing I noted was that I was laying down and was very warm. It felt like I had been sleeping for days, stuck in a weird dream where I knew superheros and had just narrowly avoided being kidnapped by a villain. It was a ridiculous notion, but there was never any real point to crazy dreams like that. Cracking open my eyes, I noticed that I had been sleeping on Nanny and Pop's couch.

My head was really fuzzy, and after a moment of squinting at my phone's screen, I noted that I had been asleep for several hours. While my dream caught up with me, I realized it hadn't all been made up. I was still sick, which meant that I really had met the two heroes and former villain, but I must have never gone to the store which explained why I was still on my grandparents' couch.

Sound from the T.V. drew my attention, so I blearily looked over to see Pop in his favorite recliner watching _Jeopardy!_ I could hear the faint sounds of Nanny piddling around in the kitchen, probably preparing some type of supper seeing as it was almost six in the evening. On any normal day, I would have stopped her and took over, not wanting her to overexert herself. Unfortunately, the high fever I could feel enveloping me said that I needed to stay put. It was unusual for me to sleep for so long during the day, even when I was sick.

Pop seemed to finally take notice that I was awake. "Nice nap, Puddin'? How ya feelin'?"

My throat felt scratchy and dry, but I managed to respond, "Yeah. Ugh. I don't think I feel any better, honestly."

Leaning over the edge of the couch, I grabbed the bottle of water I kept there and took a few gulps. When I set it back down, I saw a black plastic shopping bag next to it. The same kind that the convenience store used.

 _Wait, I_ did _go to the store? Then... Did all of that actually happen? No. No way. Nanny probably just stopped on the way home and grabbed some medicine for me. But..._

Snatching the black bag up, I looked inside as cautiously as if there was a rattlesnake in it.

 _No. Fucking. Way._

Cough syrup, Tylenol, a Mr. Goodbar, two Kit-Kats, and a Baby Ruth. It was the same stuff I had bought in my... Well, it clearly hadn't been a dream.

 _Then what the fuck happened?_

I slowly pieced everything that had happened together, though it mostly seemed like a hazy, distant thought. I went to the store. I ran into Randy. Thor and Natasha showed up. Thor attacked Randy and Natasha rushed me out of there. We went to a house and met with Loki. And then... Nothing. I couldn't remember anything else.

 _If all of that really happened, then why am I back home?_

I couldn't figure it out to save my life. The rest of the evening, through dinner with Nanny and Pop and watching T.V. with them before they went to bed, I stayed a lot more silent than usual. I couldn't bring myself to think of anything other than what had happened. When Nanny asked if something was bothering me, I waved my strange behavior off as just being sick. I couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on in my life. I _definitely_ didn't want to drag her and Pop into my mess. They were better off just not knowing.

A couple of hours after Nanny and Pop hit the sack, I was sitting bundled up on the couch, nibbling on a Kit-Kat and watching _The Big Bang Theory_ in a stupor. I couldn't get my mind off of what had happened, and I needed answers. Like, _real_ answers. Every time I tried to get information out of any of those weirdos, my words were cut off. I was done with it. If my life was going to be jerked around by some freaky-ass sci-fi shit, then I at least deserved to know what the fuck was going on.

Finally hitting my resolve, I did the only thing I could think of. Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my list of contacts until I came to the name "Thor." Just as I was about to press the "call" button, a voice somewhere in the room spoke, causing me to squeak in terror and send my phone flying from my hands as I violently jumped.

"I doubt you'll be able to reach my dear _brother_ at the moment."

Looking around wildly, I watched as the air in front of the mantle shimmered a little before Loki suddenly appeared, looking as handsome as always for a god. Sucking in a small breath of surprise, I observed him for a moment, forcing myself to just accept the magic that happened before my eyes and focus on what actually mattered.

Steeling myself, I demanded firmly, "I need answers. Everything."

Loki hesitated for a moment, looking at me with slight skepticism before finally nodding cautiously. "Fair enough." With that, he swept to the side to settle himself on the edge of my grandfather's recliner.

"What are y'all doing in Algier's Point?"

Loki seemed to suppress whatever exasperated look he seemed to want to express as he responded dryly, "It seems Kol's goals involving you are a bit more sinister than we had anticipated two days ago. It was necessary to relocate here to keep him from taking you."

"And what, exactly, are his goals involving me?" It was hard to keep my voice steady when I wanted to cough up a lung.

Taking out my bottle of NyQuil, I took a large swig as Loki asked, "You are of Norse descent, are you not?"

Wow. I wasn't expecting that to come up. "Um, yeah. I think. I mean, that was probably hundreds of years ago though... Why?"

"You are the direct descendant of Tonna Kolskeggdottir," he began, making it clear that he was about to give a lengthy explanation. "Centuries ago, Kol fell in love with Tonna when she was just sixteen, and romantic relationships were forbidden between Asgardians and Midgardians. However, Kol ignored the rule and pursued her away from the prying eyes of the other gods – Odin, my _father_ , in particular. He was determined to make her his, and when he succeeded he planned to overthrow Asgard so the two could live together freely. Though Kol was the God of Obedience and War, he was also a master of sorcery. Using his skills, he was able to hide his pursuits from even Heimdall, who can see all. Unfortunately, Kol seemed thwarted when he was unable to convince Tonna to love him back. When rejected, he abducted her and hid her away in the mountains of Asgard."

Taking a moment to sigh, Loki continued, "He was found. Tonna was returned to Midgard – Earth – to her family. Kol, however, had to face the wrath of Odin. Kol had broken many laws, the main one being bringing a human into the Asgardian realm without consent of the king. For his indiscretions, Odin stripped Kol of his status and power and banished him to Vaurus, an ice planet just outside the Eighth Realm. With that, Odin placed a type of key magic on Tonna that would pass down through her descendants. We know not what the magic does yet, but Kol wants it desperately which does not bode well. Until we know what the magic is, we cannot allow him near you."

I realized that my jaw was hanging a bit slack, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I had an ancestor that had been kidnapped by a god? Well, I had been too, but not in such a way. With my world having gotten so much bigger recently, I couldn't even begin to speculate what kind of "magical key" could have resided in me.

Assuming any of it was true.

"S-so..." I finally stuttered out. "I have magic... In me?"

Clasping his hands together in front of him, Loki leaned forward towards me slightly. "In a sense. A key is useless without a lock, no? While it clearly resides within you, it is only there for... _safekeeping_... in a way. It isn't yours, nor do you possess any special abilities for it. It is simply there."

Well, at least he was answering me, even if I wasn't happy with the answers. "Where are Thor and Natasha? Actually, how did I get home and how the _hell_ did y'all know where I lived?"

Smirking at me as though I were a simpleton, Loki responded, "Thor managed to capture Kol. He and Natasha left to take him to Stark to see about containing him and finding out more information of his plans." Pausing for a moment, Loki looked almost thoughtful before adding with a bigger smirk, "And I brought you here after you collapsed since you were so insistent upon not going to a hospital. You were escorted home the other day by a highly trained assassin and spy. You didn't think your little trick of simply giving a wrong address and cell phone number would thwart her, did you?"

I suppose I was glad it was kind of dark in the living room to cover up the slight blush that crept up my cheeks. I knew all about Natasha's abilities. I really _should_ have known better. But, then again, I suppose I was still in a bit of denial about the situation, despite the glaring evidence piling up before my eyes. I was processing everything – albeit, slowly – and I was finally beginning to piece everything together. When my brain was finally sorted out (for the most part), I looked at Loki and asked, "So, if Kol is gone now, why are you still here?"

At that, Loki's face seemed to sour a little. "While we may have captured Kol, he still seems to have some lackeys around. We don't know who or how many. Until the full issue is resolved, we can't leave you unguarded. I've been put on watch duty until further notice."

" _Watch duty?_ " I asked incredulously, feeling anger spike beneath the haziness of my mind. "So you're basically here to babysit me?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

His words, though simple and short, sent me over the edge. "How _dare_ you! I am not some kid who needs a guard dog! I can take care of myself and definitely don't need some _god_ breathing down my neck while I'm just trying to live my life! I've been perfectly fine handling myself for the last several years so you can just... _go_."

The air in the room suddenly chilled as Loki stood to his feet, ire seeming to roll off of him in waves. "As much as I'd prefer to be anywhere _but_ here guarding a stubborn, childish woman, I cannot. Since _Earth_ is to be my new home, I cannot allow it to fall under the destruction that Kol is sure to wreak. Until we have the situation settled, you will not be left alone."

 _What? What the fuck? Is he fucking serious?_

"I have a life to live too, ya know!" I snapped, standing to my feet unsteadily in anger.

"Well it won't be much of a life if Kol captures you, will it?" Loki snapped back. "I doubt he would allow you to stick around here. I doubt he would let you continue your education. And there's a strong possibility that he may do away with your grandparents altogether just to keep you to himself! I was _there_ when they recovered Tonna. He had killed her entire parents out of jealousy. He tortured her in his quest to gain her acceptance. Though his feelings involving you may not be romantic, he will still be no less of a beast about getting what he wants."

I couldn't contain the quiet gasp that escaped my lips. Do away with my grandparents? But they had nothing to do with what was happening! Could someone sincerely be so heartless and cruel? My mind raced with everything I had been told, but the last bit is what really sent my mind reeling. I needed to sort out my head. I needed to find a way to keep my grandparents safe. I needed...

Well, fuck. I needed Loki's help.

"So, how exactly is this supposed to work?" I asked, finally succumbing to defeat. "I can't leave. My grandparents need me. But I can't exactly tell them who you are, either."

"It's best that they know nothing of what is happening. The less they are informed of, the better their chances of survival." Loki said it in such a way that made me want to raise my hackles. He was insinuating that they were very possible casualties in all the mess going on.

"I know _that_!" I snapped. " I meant how are you supposed to 'keep an eye on me' since they can't find out?"

At that, Loki paused, his face showing a complicated thought process going on in the background of his mind. "I... I suppose I'll have to keep watch from an inconspicuous space. You've clearly seen how I can keep myself concealed. I'll just have to continue doing so until we receive word from Thor. It shouldn't take too much of my magical energy, and the outputting signature will keep anyone who can sense me at bay. It's not as ideal as just taking you with me but it'll have to do, I suppose."

I bit my lip, completely unsure of everything at that moment. Was I really gonna let this guy – a former villian – stay in my grandparents' home with me? Really?

"You... You don't have to hide..." I said hesitantly, thinking of my grandparents' safety. "I don't... I don't actually live _here_ ," I said, looking around the living room pointedly. "I... I have my own house behind this one. It's kinda small, but it's private. You can stay there with me. You won't have to... _conceal_ yourself. At least not as much."

Loki raised an eyebrow at me, surprise apparent in his features. "I was under the assumption that you lived here. Your personal belongings littering this space suggest as such."

Rolling my eyes, I tugged my blanket closer around me. "Are you blind? I'm sick. My grandmother has me staying here so she can keep an eye on me."

Sneering, he said in a condescending tone, "Mortals are so helpless when sick. It's despicable."

Bristling, I snarled back, "I'm not helpless! I'm doing it to make her feel useful, for your information! I can go back to my house anytime I want. I'll go back in the morning, in fact!"

Still sneering, only with a bit more amusement lining his expression, he said, "Are you sure you can bear to be away from your grandmother's care? I'm not exactly a skilled healer nor do I have any desire to tend to you in such a manner."

"I'll be fine!" I snapped back, hunkering down onto the couch into a laying position. "Just, do your _disappear_ thing. We'll move over to my house first thing in the morning."

* * *

 ** _Please R &R! Work has me super down lately so some reviewy goodness is exactly what I need._**


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